Beasts and Savages (The Beastly Series Book 1) (29 page)

I steered myself toward Tanner’s bed. “Coming!”

As I passed boy after boy, I noticed their eyes were no longer following me. They looked at Tanner in admiration and what felt like jealousy. I tried to lie as far away from him as I could in the narrow bunk, but he reached his arm over and pulled me close. Soon, I felt the slow even breath of his sleep on the top of my head. I closed my eyes. He was right, tomorrow was going to be a busy day.

CHAPTER 17

~ The Warning ~

The entire day was spent cleaning and organizing. I found a room filled with hospital night stands and a few odd pieces of plush furniture. Some boys helped me move the stands out and push some bunks in. There were nineteen girls when I included myself, so I asked the boys to unstack and set up twenty beds. I pushed one against a wall and rolled a nightstand next to it, making a model for them to follow.

A boy named Striker asked me about the rocking chairs and baby beds upstairs. I agreed with him that they needed to come down, but were in desperate need of cleaning. Striker led a few boys to the supply closet and we began the trek up the stairs.

Tanner stepped in my path when I reached the stairs. “Where are you going?”

I stepped around him. “To help Striker and the other boys bring down things from the nursery. Things we we'll need.”

He grabbed my arm. “No. Stay downstairs. They can handle it.” He spoke in a loud wavering tone, and his eyes dared me to disobey. He added in a lower tone, “And stop saying 'we'. You won't be staying here.”

I pulled away from him, annoyed. “You’re not my owner, Tanner. I want to go upstairs. There may be things that the boys overlook.”

“We need help moving bunks down here. You didn't leave enough out. There’ll be people guarding the girls. Where will they sleep? Stay down here and help.” He reached for my arm again.

I jerked away. “So go get some and put them by the door. You don't need me for that.”

“Lea,” Tanner said, his voice softer now, “Please be careful.”

I started up the stairs and called behind me, “If I’d been more careful, I wouldn't be in this predicament now.” I was frustrated. This project was going to take longer than I thought, and it felt like Tanner was too busy hovering over me to help. It was smothering.

When I opened the nursery door, half the boys were dragging chairs out the front door.

I didn't see the other half, so I looked to Striker. “Where is everyone?”

“Went to the creek to get water.” He cocked his head to the stairwell and asked, “Where’s your guard?”

“Guard?”

Striker flashed a toothy grin and ran his hand over his tight curls. “Yeah, Freckles. The boy that won’t let you outta his sight.”

“Oh. Tanner? He’s not my guard.”

“If you say so.” His dark eyes sparkled as he shook his head.

After looking in the cupboard under the sink, I tried turning on the water. It gurgled and knocked a few times, but no water came out of the faucet. I chewed on my lip. I had discovered earlier that the bathrooms downstairs had sinks, showers, and toilets. The toilets would flush, but the tanks wouldn’t refill. Their valves were completely open. The electricity still worked, so the pump should be working. There could be a main valve. I'd have to look for it.

A hand waved near my face, bringing me out of my concentration. “You okay?”

It was Miller. A chill ran through me and I glance around, looking for other boys. There were only two in the room, and they were trying to finagle a rocking chair through the door to the bunker. I stepped sideways, distancing myself from him.

“I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to talk.” He held up his hands, palms out.

“About what?” I didn't try to keep the edge out of my voice.

“I know about the cabin and Locke's plan.”

I glared at him. “What do you plan to do about it?”

Miller’s laugh was soft and throaty. “Nothing. It won't happen. Tanner was so worried that someone would harm his precious Lea that he talked you up. Add that to being Locke's daughter, and a natural leader, and you're priceless. There's a big reward on your head.”

I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes at him. “You’ve already harmed me….  I thought no one would dare kill me, not even you. You know, the royalty thing.”

He grabbed my head just behind my ears and roughly pulled my face toward his. His sour scent was the same as before, and I held my breath to escape it. “Make no mistake, princess. I despise you. I'm not sure why I'm even warning you, except I want to see you gone. No one wants to kill you. You have a more…” He paused to look me up and down, his expression cold and calculating. “…Desirable attribute. If you stay, you’ll produce an heir, a beacon of hope in our fight against sacrificing.” He snorted. “And his father will be an honored hero. Everyone wants to be royalty, Lea.” He let me go and I stumbled back a step.

“No!” I shook my head. “I'm not mating with anyone. Locke and Tanner wouldn't let that happen!”

Miller pointed a thin, pale finger at me. “You have no idea. Locke is an elder. Elders do what suites the clan, including handing over their own children! And Tanner, well, the closer you become to him, the more dangerous you make it for him. Look around you! All of these boys here to help you? They're sons of elders, vying for a chance to claim their prize. If they see Tanner as a threat, they’ll eliminate him.”

“Everything okay?” It was Tanner, standing near the door, hands on his hips.

Miller threw his hands in the air. “Oh look. Here comes your savior now!” He huffed and walked away.

“Miller!” I called after him, “What's a princess?”

He didn't stop, but called over his shoulder, “A female prince. Found it in a very, very old book one time.”

Tanner rushed over and gently rubbed my shoulders, his thumbs lingering over my collar bone. “What did Miller say to you?”

I shook his hands off of me. “Only that I was now more valuable alive than dead, thanks to you.” I was sure Miller was close, listening to our conversation. I didn't want to argue with Tanner in front of him. “Listen-” I pointed to the bassinet of items. “-I need help getting these things downstairs.”

He cupped my chin, and I smacked his hand away. “Stop it, Tanner.”

His face grew serious, intense. He frowned and mumbled, “He told you, didn't he?”

“That there’d be no hiding out in the cabin this winter? Yes.” I pushed my make-shift cart toward the door. “But that’s not what I want, anyway. I want to help the girls and get out of here. You know-”

“I'm sorry, Lea. But I’ll still protect you. I won't let them-”

I slammed the cart to a halt.  “You won't let them? If you even appear to be a threat, they’ll kill you. I can't - that can't happen!”

His eyes twinkled. “Kill me? They’d have to catch us first.”

I let out an exasperated breath and continued toward the stairs. Tanner and Miller stayed within sight for the remainder of the day, but gave me my space. Most of the boys seemed friendly, and none of them had Miller's pretense of despise or Tanner's protective nature. They all seemed natural, as if they didn't care what I thought of them. Maybe they knew that what I thought didn't matter. In the end, it would be my father, or all of the elders, who would decide.

***

In late afternoon, I found a bookshelf full of books. Most were medical reference books, but there were a few on caring for babies and children. Two books were most valuable. One was a book on natural remedies, and the other was a symptom diagnosis book complete with medical remedies and care guide. They were mostly likely outdated, but better than nothing.

“Striker? Who would be best at learning what’s in these books? The girls. They’re going to need special medical care. These books will be very helpful.”

He looked please that I asked and rubbed his chin as he thought. “I can read, but I hate medical stuff. Flynn's father is our medicine man. He’s training him to take his place, and then he’ll be in charge of medical problems.”

“Ah,” I sighed. “The infamous Flynn.”

Striker stood. “I’ll get him.”

“Wait.” I touched his arm. “I'm glad that Flynn’s here, but I need at least one more. Flynn won't be able to do everything by himself. Who else is a good reader, can remember instructions and follow them?”

He looked around the room, obviously displeased with the answer he had to give me. “Tanner and Miller. Their fathers are head elders. They read and record everything. Both have been reading and writing for a very long time.”

“Okay.” I thought for a moment before I said anything else. Why did it have to be those two? I felt a little pang of remorse for Flynn. “Well, maybe Flynn can have two assistants. But for now, just get Flynn.”

Striker looked amused when I called Tanner and Miller assistants, but he didn't say anything. He sauntered over to a red headed boy and began talking to him. I guessed this was Flynn. I smiled and waved when he looked in my direction. His cheeks and ears flushed as he waved back.

While they talked, I thought about this bunker and how strange it had been set up. It was probably built in the last twenty years or so, though it appeared to have never been used. This place was most definitely a safe haven for mothers, specifically new mothers, yet there were no hospital beds or equipment for birth. Almost like the city expected to have to move new mothers here to protect them after they had their babies. The question weighing most heavily on my mind was what were they planning to protect them from?

Striker led Flynn to my pile of books. I handed him the book on symptom diagnosis. He didn't say anything, but leafed through it. Striker picked up a book on pregnancy and childbirth while I sat and waited. As Striker flipped through the pages, his eyes got wide and slammed the book shut. Flynn glanced at him questioningly and I snickered.

Flynn handed his book to me. His voice was clear and confident. “I know this book. We have one like it at home.”

“You have one like this?” I held it up. I had guessed by now that women had provided the men's villages with basic medical supplies, but resources too?

He nodded. “Ours is much older and pages have fallen out, but my father has written down the information he remembers. Some of it doesn't matter because there are medicines and equipment we don’t have.”